The past year has been nothing short of impressive for our clubs. For the second time in three years, Men’s Tennis captured the National Championship, bringing home the inaugural U Sports banner last August. At their National Championship, Artistic Swimming took home the Gerry Dubrule Trophy as the top overall university, while the Triathlon team won the first ever Canadian University Championships. In their first year in TSC, Curling competed in the Canada West Championship, narrowly missing out on qualification for U Sports Nationals. Numerous other teams have represented UBC at their National Championship in the past year, and we are eager to see how our teams continuing to compete this summer perform.
On April 10, 2025, we held our annual TSC Year End Event to celebrate the achievements of our exceptional athletes and teams this past year. Read below for the award winners!
Table of Contents
Rookie of the Year
Awarded to the top student-athletes who demonstrate extraordinary athletic performance in their first year of intercollegiate competition
Student Leadership Award
Presented to the individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership towards their sport club
Athlete of the Year
Awarded to the top student-athletes who demonstrate extraordinary athletic performance in their given discipline this season
TSC Legacy Award
Presented to TSC’s outstanding graduating athletes, who have left a lasting impression on their team and the program during their career
Executives of the Year
Awarded to the team of executives that presented themselves as unified leaders, progressing their sport club both administratively and competitively
Team of the Year
Awarded to the team that exemplifies the spirit of TSC and saw success at all levels – in training, competition, academics, and team culture
Rookie of the Year
Karen Gu, Artistic Swimming
Karen is one of the most impressive rookies in UBC Artistic Swimming’s history. She performed routines in all three Experienced categories (solo, duet, and team), and earned gold in both the duet and team events, along with a silver in the solo event at the Westerns Championship. Her extraordinary achievements continued at CUASL Nationals, where she podiumed in all three Experienced events again, ultimately being named the Top Overall Experienced Athlete. Her great energy and supportive attitude have made her an invaluable teammate, pushing to club to new heights.
Simon Kurono, Men’s Tennis
Simon is undoubtedly one of the hardest-working players on the team, showcasing remarkable dedication and skill. He excelled by playing at the #2 spot in singles and doubles, which is the highest position a UBC rookie has held since 2018. This season, he went 4-0 in singles matches, playing a pivotal role in helping the team secure its first Westerns title in Alberta and a trip to the National Championships.
Student Leadership Award
Serena Chin, Artistic Swimming
Serena is an enthusiastic and supportive athlete who always brings a positive energy to the team. She excels at staying on top of her exec tasks while also stepping in to help with other roles when needed, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Serena makes everyone feel included and welcome with her approachable nature and consistently shows up early, going above and beyond in her efforts. Her great attitude and dedication make her an invaluable part of the team, both in and out of the water.
Isabella Bauman, Equestrian
Isabella has been instrumental in creating an enjoyable and safe environment for the club, significantly shifting the team dynamic from before her time as an exec to a more positive atmosphere. Despite facing numerous challenges, she persevered and overcame them with determination. Alongside her success in her shows, where she excelled in her classes, Isabella managed to balance both her athletic and team responsibilities. She worked tirelessly to repair the club’s external relationships and helped create new and equal opportunities for all members, further strengthening the success of the team.
Isaac Qi, Quadball
Isaac played a major part in bringing the UBC Quadball team back from near extinction. Having only himself and his 3 execs returning this season, he led the execs to increase the team roster to almost 20 athletes. Where many would have thrown in the towel and given up at such grim odds, he saw potential in the few of those who were left and recruited tirelessly throughout the year, leading to a nearly 100% retention rate from Term 1 to Term 2. He puts the team’s needs and the individuals on it above his own, always making sure they feel included and supported. Isaac is a true leader, on and off the field.
Athlete of the Year
Clare Carmichael, Equestrian
This season, Clare placed high point or reserve high point rider in all of her competitions. She led the season in points, which made a significant contribution to the team’s overall score and their second-place finish in the IHSA league. She finished as the Cacchione Cup Highpoint Rider for the entire region and will be going to Stanford for Zones for a chance to compete at Nationals. She also led the IDA league in points by a significant margin. What sets her apart is her ability to compete in two completely different disciplines, Hunt Seat Equitation and Dressage, and excel in both.
Kiran Phaterpekar, Men’s Tennis
This past year, Kiran played a pivotal role in leading the team to its second National title. He went undefeated at the #2 singles position at Nationals, while also dominating at #1 doubles alongside Jared MacLean. In the National Championship final, he defeated a former top Canadian junior in dramatic fashion and was named to the All-Star Team. Last month at Westerns, Kiran came up clutch again at the #4 spot against UofA to help the team advance to another National Championships this summer.
TSC Legacy Award
Marissa Enns, Artistic Swimming
Marissa has competed on the UBC Artistic Swimming team for four years, representing the Blue team in the Experienced category and swimming an Experienced duet routine every year. She has won every event she has competed in at the Western Championships, and helped UBC secure the Top Experienced Team title at Nationals from 2022-2024, in addition to the Top Overall University award in 2022 and 2025. She made history as the first UBC Artistic Swimming athlete to win Top Overall Experienced Athlete at Nationals in 2024 and has played a key role in countless team milestones. Her dedication, leadership, and passion have paved the way for so many on the team to succeed.
Isaac Lowenthal Walsh, Nordic Skiing
Isaac’s mission since day 1 has been to make skiing as fun as possible, which reflects in Nordic Skiing’s exemplary team culture that he was a core part of crafting and maintaining. As an athlete, Isaac has consistently been one of the top 3 male athletes on the team, winning numerous BC Cups and racing at three National Championships. One of Isaac’s hallmark legacies that he will leave behind was signing a prominent ski brand “Rex” as a team sponsor and building a robust waxing system. Because of this, team members have been able to take an increased level of skill, pride, and ownership over their racing, truly pushing the bounds of what a student-run club can achieve.
David Zoric, Men’s Tennis
Throughout his five years on the Men’s Tennis team, David has been a driving force in transforming the team from mediocrity to a championship-winning program. He played a pivotal role in leading the team to its first-ever Westerns and National Championship in 2022, winning the tournament MVP award in the process. In the 2023/24 season, he continued to be a cornerstone of the team’s success, which ended with a second National title in his final year. David’s legacy is not just in the championships he won but in the culture he built – a standard of excellence, leadership, and dedication that will continue to shape the team for years to come.
Executives of the Year
Equestrian – Isabella Bauman, Sierra Ducharme, Clare Carmichael, Rajdeep Singh, Jamie Robinson
This year, the Equestrian team had record engagement during lessons, shows, fundraisers, and socials thanks to the example and high energy led by the executive team. They were faced with many challenges from the beginning of the year, but they maintained a positive outlook, allowing them to persevere. Situations outside of their control were handled efficiently and with care, appearing seamless to the rest of team. They have made the sport of equestrian accessible at all levels by significantly reducing show and lesson fees, and providing many show opportunities for their athletes, as exemplified through joining the International Dressage Association this season.
Team of the Year
Men’s Tennis
Last summer, the UBC Men’s Tennis team won the inaugural U SPORTS National Championships in thrilling fashion in Montreal. This marks the second time in three years that the team has pulled off this feat, which is also their only Nationals appearances in program history. After the tragic loss of a beloved former player and then coach, the team demonstrated resilience and strength by winning Westerns last month in honour of Jared. Not only was it their third Western Championship in four years, but it was the first time beating the University of Alberta on their home court in Edmonton. The UBC Thunderbirds are more poised and determined than ever to bring another National Championship home.
